Maroon Sweatbands, Headbands & Color Meaning

The soft, low-key maroon is popular for sports sweatbands because it goes with a wide range of other hues. You may think you’re just looking for a red that isn’t garish, but actually it has more significance, according to color theorists. Lovers of maroon tend to be controlled and thoughtful, real strategists on the court with their maroon basketball headbands.

Here is a look at this popular shade of red, favored by groups as varied as airborne units in the military and the Dalai Lama.

What Is Maroon?

Maroon is crimson with a dash of brown. It is often called claret colored, meaning it looks like a red wine. Some people say it has a bluish red appearance.

The word comes from the French for chestnut, marron. The French borrowed it from the Italians, who swiped it from the Greeks in the Middle Ages. The first time the word appeared in English in print was 1789 in the Dictionary of Color.

Maroon truly became an official color when it was designated a Crayola crayon in 1949. Colors are in the bush leagues until they get drafted into the big leagues by Crayola.

Maroon and Variations

Maroon has three variations:

Rich maroon is brighter than regular maroon, with a strong rose coloring.

Dark red is, well, dark red.

Bright maroon, the actual Crayola color, has midway between brown and rose. It is considered a tone of crimson.

Tones are different from shadings, which are different from tints. Color theorists have lots of time on their hands.

The Psychology of Maroon

Maroon is a controlled color, not garish red and not as dramatic as burgundy. It is the color of thoughtful decision-making. But maroon isn’t boring. It has a rich feel to it, just in a softer way than more theatrical reds.

When people’s dreams are saturated in maroon, it means dignity, power and nobility.

Maroon and Your Personality

If you love maroon, you are mature, whatever your age. You are likeable, open hearted and generous. This makes you an excellent team player, whatever your sport.

When people see your maroon headbands, they will know you are disciplined. You care about strategy and getting the job done. When you play, you are focused and expect others to be the same. Your aim is directed to winning the game in a sportsmanlike way.

You don’t dazzle on the court. Instead, you strategize and come up with the game plan that leads to wins. You bring others along with you.

People who prefer maroon have often been battered by a life experience. But they dug in and came through, wiser, a bit worse for wear but smarter and more understanding of others.

Maroon is also a rich color, indicating tasteful wealth and an appreciation of the finer things. Maroon wrist sweatbands have an understated feel on a player, not overly defiant like scarlet or nakedly aggressive like red.

People who wear maroon have seen it all. They don’t need to go jumping around to prove their spirit. They carry it with them in their slightest movement.

Maroon and Clothing

The Dalai Lama and his followers wear gold and maroon robes. The dye they use comes from the saffron plant. When saffron is just a raw plant, the color is actually maroon. When it is used as a dye, it is a golden color. That’s what accounts for the two colors, maroon and gold.

Saffron was a very common plant in the days when Buddhism was just starting out. Its adherents dressed in rags and very cheap cloth. The emphasis was on the virtue of poverty. Therefore, they used the most common dye available, which was saffron, both raw and processed. That’s why the robes are now both maroon and gold.

In the Ayurvedic way of looking at things, maroon is a tridoshic color, meaning it provides balance for a range of body types. Those that follow this tradition seek balance by wearing maroon robes.

At the other end of the clothing spectrum, a maroon beret is considered the international color of the airborne military forces. That started in World War II when the British selected it for their beret. Actually it was the author Daphne du Maurier who selected maroon for the head gear. She was the wife of the commander of the British 1st Airborne Division. This was a very new type of military force and they were starting from scratch when it came to what their clothing. The maroon beret was considered untraditional and quite daring, just like the airborne fighters.

The maroon definitely caught on, helped by the fact that the Brits were on the winning side in World War II. The maroon beret is currently used by more than 40 countries, ranging from the U.S. to Serbia, Pakistan to Namibia and Germany to Azerbaijan.

Maroon and Sports

If you prefer maroon sweatbands, you are right in step with many university teams. Here is a just a sampling:

Arizona State: maroon and gold

Arkansas Little Rock: maroon, white and old gold

Boston College: maroon and gold

Central Michigan: maroon and gold

Louisiana-Monroe: maroon and gold

Minnesota: maroon and gold

Mississippi State: maroon and white

Southern Illinois: maroon and white

Texas A&M: maroon and white

Virginia Tech: Chicago maroon and burnt orange

The Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA use maroon and gold, plus white and navy blue.

In Scotland, the football strip of the Heart of Midlothian Football Club in Edinburgh is maroon. In Queensland, Australia, maroon is worn at sporting events and is considered the official color the state.

Maroon is also a school color of a host of high schools, colleges and universities, probably because it blends well with many other colors. The most popular combinations are maroon and gold, maroon and gray and maroon and white.

Maroon headbands are the color of strategy, well-won wisdom and dignity. It means sacrificing your own ego for the good of the team. Clearly, players wearing maroon sweatbands are the heart and soul of any successful team.